THE BLUE BEDROOM And Other Stories

by Rosamunde Pilcher ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 27, 1985

Lacking the genuine warmth and humor of such sterling Pilcher novels as Voices in Summer (1984), this collection of sentimental formula stories--set mainly in rural England--features predictable upbeat endings. Most of these stories first appeared in Good Housekeeping. For the most part, they're structurally uniform: sad or frightened people are reconciled to such matters as death, loneliness, estrangement, anxiety, etc. through gifts of coincidence or through communion with (sometimes preachments from) kind or needy others. A small boy, grieving the loss of an elderly friend, witnesses the birth of a lamb, the beginning of a romance, and hears from his grandmother that ""life is a mountain,"" and that the end is undoubtedly a glorious peak. At a dreaded wedding in the same church where her beloved grandfather's funeral was recently held, a granddaughter is comforted (thanks to an oh-so-wise young man) by the knowledge that Grandfather is really there, one of the family still. Lonely ladies bloom: a timid spinster finds companionship during a night of comforting a young friend; and a widow accepts the friendly overtures of a hitherto remote boarder. And birthing looms large here. A young girl's aid to her stepmother, in unexpected labor, brings them close; and a middle-aged mother, awaiting news about a potentially dangerous birth, finds hope about her daughter's condition via a flight of swans. Kindness to an old boring relative brings a financial bonanza of money to a young couple; a youngster learns the folly of race prejudice. And then there are two mildly amusing stories: a stepfather tries to deal with the death and resurrection of two youngsters' pet goldfish; and there's the night the boss and wife show up for a formal dinner, a day early. In sum: quickie inspirational fixes.

Pub Date: July 27, 1985

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1985

Categories: FICTION